Pepsi's new year's resolutions include bringing the Pepsi Refresh Project to Canada with a commitment to supporting social innovation and community projects with "over $1 million" in grants to non-profits, businesses and individuals seeking funding for positive ideas that will have an impact on their communities.

The latest expansion of PepsiCo's crowdsourced social good platform, which launched in 2010 by redirecting its $20 million annual Super Bowl budget and subsequently faced allegations of cheating before expanding in Europe, Asia and Latin America last year and becoming a marketing case study at Harvard, follows a company-backed survey that found "92 per cent of Canadians would like to do something to improve the world around them, but many lack the money and the know-how to put their ideas into action."

Here’s how it will work: Canadians (individuals or organizations) can visit www.refresheverything.ca (going live on April 17) immediately to learn more about the program and to download a Submission Toolkit. Then, on June 1, they can submit their idea for a grant in one of six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighbourhoods and Education. Ideas must be beneficial, achievable, constructive and “shovel-ready”.

On July 1, voting opens on the site – meaning that Canadians, not Pepsi, get to decide who has the best ideas and who gets the grants. Every other month, 10 grants will be awarded to the ideas that secure the most votes from Canadians. $200,000 in grants is available every other month as follows: one $100,000 grant; two $25,000 grants; three $10,000 grants; and four $5,000 grants.

To implement the project, Pepsi is [once again] partnering with two expert organizations dedicated to making a positive difference in the world: GOOD, a leading platform for thought and action revolving around pushing the world forward; and Global Giving, an online marketplace that connects people who have community and world-changing ideas with people who can support them.